I am in a position where I generally have no one available to help me land my kite.
In winds below 15 or so knots I can rest it on a wingtip and pull the top middle line.
In higher winds, not only does this rip into my hand , but it starts to launch the kite again or in some cases the line I'm pulling in gets caught around the bar and then it powers up. Not pretty.
Also, there is nothing on the beach for me to attach the chicken loop to and just walk to the kite either.
Suggestions?
If you cannot use the front lines then use the outside lines. The Best bar has the round toggles fitted, so you can attach your safety to the toggle, pilot the kite to the edge of the window and let go of the bar.
Make sure the little velcro tab is detached before letting go.
The kite will most prob spin a few times before comming to a stand still. Once it does, walk your hands up along the line towards the kite and secure the kite.
Let me know if you need extra help, I can meet you at the beach next time to help out.
Thanks
Joe
Use a sandbag
simply depower your kite, rest the kite at the edge of the window on the wingtip
clip into the sandbag using a strong carabina and detach and then walk windward to your kite and secure it
You can launch by doing this in reverse
I've been flying my waroo for a couple of years and the absolute easiest way I find to self land (really in any wind) is the put the kite low on the window on one side and grab BOTH front lines about a foot above the bar and hold them. Walk quickly around so that the kite is directly downwind of you and it will just sit on its back (as if you had a 5th line). Drop your bar and leash and walk straight up btoh front lines to your kite. easy!
Thanks guys. Some good suggestions.
Joe, I'll take you up on that. I tried once, but it just kept spinning then dragged downwind over all those sticks that collect on our beaches. You sure that works in +20kts?
Also, re the other suggestions. In strong winds, grabbing the two front lines would not be comfortable!
The sand bag may work, but in strong winds (especially gusty) the kite doesn't like to stay on the ground and bounces up about 5m before crashing down. Might generate enough power to move the bag?
If all else fails, thanks nathand!
Beg to differ, grabbing the two front lines sufficiently far up cause the kite to flag compeltely and lie on its back - no problem in strong winds. Works for me every time, and you never get the horrible effects of the kite spinning on one back line.
But hey - just do whatever you feel comfortable with 
I flag to my safety in high winds. Make sure nothing's twisted and safety is clear to go, then fly the kite over to the edge of the window and unhook or throw you QR. Works for me with hardly any pressure on the flagged line if done properly.
Try this:
- Land the kite so that it hovers on a tip.
- Reach up and grab the trimmer assembly in one hand and hang onto it so that the kite is fully depowered (or as much as it can be)
- Walk upwind with the kite tip on the ground. The kite will roll over so that it is nose down (sort of flying itself into the ground). The further you walk upwind the safer and more secure it is.
- When you are far enough upwind use a front line to drag the tip around and park the kite nose down into wind.
Practice this a few times in lighter winds until you understand how it works. It is very safe and very reliable. Remember, the further you walk upwind the safer the kite is.
If you want the best and safest self-landing kite, buy a Cabrinha with IDS. So easy. So safe.
If you have a kite with a rear line as the flagging line there is potential for a looping out of control kite once you hit the quick release if a snag happens. Beware of this posibility on the water or on the beach.
If you're in the market for a new kite keep this important point in mind. Only buy a kite with IDS or equivalent or one that flags onto a front line.
Hey I have a Best Bullaroo (7m) for 18-27knots and Waroo (5m) 25-37knots. Both land the same easy way.
Landing Method:
1. Fully depower the kite
2. Drift the kite to 45deg at edge of wind window (30deg works too but too low and it'll not fall forward when landing)
3. (Optional Step) push bar so that its flying directly down
4. grab the centre lines as far up as you can. (1m should be good)
5. Pull center lines all the way towards you till the kite drops onto its leading edge
6. Here u may need to grab an outside line to tilt the kite so it lays directly downwind
7. Kite will sit there. Tho if its windy better run and put some sand on her.
Launching=basically reverse method!
Optimising this method: Land behind a car, sand dune or something that causes a small wind shadow-so that step 6 is not so stressfull.
p.s. how do I land my old 10m 06 5 line North Rhino. Launches easy... But all methods par the sand dune wind shadow will not land her easily!
Cheers Jessie
As I understand it, the bigger the difference of tension on front flagging line and slack on rear lines the better chance of the kite dropping. Hence, pull in depower first and chucking the quick release (or at least the bar) all helps.
I've also been trying hovering it about 3/4 width above the ground before killing it and it seems to work better with a little crash land. Will try the upwind movement and wind shelter tricks too, esp when windy.
NB: Don't worry about your lines getting tangled! It's easy enough, once the kite is secured / sanded down to go back and pull the bar and lines straight and untangle and sort out. 
oh, and just in case, I make sure down wind is clear as it sometimes does a few flips but will settle in the end on the flagging line (preferably face down)
Select to expand quote
Buy something called a Wombat sand anchor. You screw it into the sand and it holds 500kg's. The kite aint going nowhere no matter how many times it bounces up and down.
So where do you buys these from??
Glenno-Sebbu, flagging to safety (or grabbing the 2 front lines) doesnt work, at least on the 09 15m Waroo - i tried it yesterday trying to self-land my new waroo in about 20 kts of onshore wind.
I thought i'd try the QR and land it using the safely line once i had it parked on the edge of the wind window. Mistake. Kite flagged onto the 2 front lines ok, but it just stayed flying on the 2 front lines half-powered! ( i'm not sure if its to do with the front bridle attachment points - they seemed to be quite far away from the LE?)
I tried walking upwind but the kite just stayed on the edge of the window and wouldn't go downwind at all!
I also tried pulling the 2 front lines closer and also just pulling one, then the other, but it didn't want to turn downwind or onto its back.
I ended up landing it by hooking the bar around the base of a handy metal bin-pole until the kite was reasonably stable on the edge of the window and then walking to it and landing it.
This is a bit worrying as i don't have much faith now in flagging to the front lines on the 09 Waroo if its going to stay half-powered like this?
My other kite is a 12m Cab SB IDS and i'm used to this completely depowering when activating the safety.
Am i possibly doing something wrong here with the Waroo?
Cheers yeatsie.
Wombats available at Ranger Camping(in WA)... Should be available at camping shops in other states. We use one to secure the ski boat at the beach etc. I'm getting some more to do the self launch/land thing with the kites... You'd need a truck to pull them out if they're screwed in properly. Paint the top end brightly so others can avoid them on the beach...
What do people think about a permanent launch/landing structure being erected at a few of the popular kite sites? (in my case i'm thinking kurnell where self launching is a nightmare)
Instead of these do it yourself mechanisms, sandbags, toe bars, balancing sand on a wingtip, and the like that people use, surely it would be in the both the kite community's and more importantly the council's best interests to implement a permanent structure, say about 3 foot high, jutting out of the ground, with an attachment point that you could clip onto, move your kite into position at the edge of the window, and safely complete the process.
Most locations around fly primarily one wind direction, so working out where to put it shouldn't be too hard.
I can't imagine it would be hugely costly either (1 x chunk of heavy metal, dig 1 x hole, put in hole), and maybe even a few of the locals at each spot might even be willing to chip in for the few hundred bucks it does cost.. i know I'd happily chuck a few bucks towards it.
Cause god knows the last time i tried self-launching a waroo at kurnell i thought i was going to end up doing a tarzan routine through the bushes..
I've never seen anything like it around anywhere, but i think, in the interests of safety, it's probably not a bad idea to have one. Anyone else got any thoughts?
In high winds....
Flying a kite without a fail-proof flagging system is like using a power-tool without an 'OFF' switch.
Footnote:
IDS is not a flagging system.
